Matches to Make After UFC 129

Is
the world ready for Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva? | Photo:
Dominic Chan/WENN.com

Georges St.
Pierre left the masses unsatisfied, as the man some view as the
top pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts went the distance
for the fourth time in as many fights.

St. Pierre defeated Jake Shields by
unanimous decision to retain his welterweight crown in the UFC
129 headliner on Saturday at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. In
doing so, the soon-to-be 30-year-old turned away yet another chief
rival but kept his detractors in business. St. Pierre has not
finished an opponent since he ousted an undersized B.J. Penn in four
rounds more than two years ago. That nugget seems to have
overshadowed his career-best nine-fight winning streak.

Having all but eliminated the contender population, St. Pierre has
few worthwhile options left at 170 pounds. He lost a round for the
first time since 2007 but looked no less dominant against Shields,
a durable and driven two-division stalwart who entered the Octagon
on a string of 15 consecutive victories.

A closer look at the matches we want to see after UFC 129 “St.
Pierre vs. Shields” follows:

Georges St.
Pierre vs. Anderson
Silva: If “The Spider” passes his forthcoming test against
Yushin
Okami at UFC 134 in
Brazil, he, too, will have effectively wiped out a division. Silva
hushed his own critics in February, when he knocked out Vitor Belfort
with a jaw-dropping front kick. He has won 14 fights in a row, 13
of them inside the UFC. No other man has treated the Octagon to
such dominance. However, St. Pierre’s relentless takedowns seem a
perfect foil for Silva, whose lack of wrestling skills remains a
glaring weakness. Though his latest performance left many
uninspired, St. Pierre did nothing to diminish his status as the
welterweight division’s alpha male. Should he decide against a move
to middleweight, a showdown with current Strikeforce champion
Nick Diaz
at 170 pounds would be an easy sell.

Jose Aldo
file photo

Aldo looked human at UFC 129.

Jose Aldo vs.
Kenny
Florian: Thanks to the underrated and underappreciated
Mark
Hominick, Aldo’s aura of invincibility took a significant hit
in his unanimous decision victory at UFC 129. For once, he looked
human.

Pushed for five grueling rounds, Aldo ran out of gas in the fifth
and was forced to weather a ground-and-pound onslaught from
Hominick for much of the final five minutes. That, combined with an
expected influx of former lightweights to 145 pounds, means his
spot at the top may be far more tenuous than first thought.

Florian, a two-time lightweight title contender, brings with him a
wealth of experience and a cerebral approach to fighting.

Provided he gets past the world-ranked Diego Nunes at
UFC
131 in June, he seems like an appropriate challenger for Aldo.
However, the unbeaten Chad Mendes
might get first dibs.

Lyoto
Machida vs. Quinton
Jackson: Machida kept safe his place among the world’s
premier light heavyweights, as he knocked hall of famer Randy Couture
into retirement with a vicious second-round front kick. Still very
much in his prime, the 32-year-old Brazilian remains a difficult
strategic puzzle to solve. He clearly has a desire to return to
title contention, and that road may lead to a rematch with Jackson,
who faces “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 alum Matt Hamill at
UFC 131. Jackson won a controversial split decision from Machida in
November. Would anyone be opposed to rounds four, five and six?

Vladimir
Matyushenko vs. Luiz Cane:
Matyushenko packs quite a punch. Just ask Jason Brilz.
The grizzled 40-year-old Belarusian knocked out Brilz in just 20
seconds at UFC 129, as he once again slammed the cage doors on the
fingers of Father Time. A powerful wrestler, Matyushenko can serve
as an excellent litmus test for anyone teetering on the line
between contender and pretender at 205 pounds. Cane steamrolled
Eliot
Marshall at UFC 128 and stemmed the negative tide that resulted
from his back-to-back losses to Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira and Cyrille
Diabate. Matyushenko would almost certainly probe his takedown
defense and ground skills. Neither man figures to factor into title
contention, but they could still put on a meaningful fight as part
of the light heavyweight division’s middle class.

Benson
Henderson vs. Anthony
Pettis: Their first encounter was as memorable as any in
recent memory. There is no reason to think a rematch would be any
different. Henderson made a successful promotional debut at UFC
129, denying native son Mark Bocek a
signature win in front of his fellow countrymen. The well-rounded
27-year-old former WEC champion has shown a diverse and complete
skill set since Zuffa LLC welcomed his services in 2009. Henderson
pairs a strong wrestling base with effective striking and an insane
ability to escape danger on the ground. Pettis awaits a June 4
showdown with Clay Guida at
“The Ultimate Fighter 12” Finale. Should he win there, the Duke
Roufus protégé would likely move into position to challenge for the
UFC lightweight crown. A defeat could set the stage for a rematch
with Henderson.

Jake
Ellenberger vs. Rory
MacDonald: Two of the UFC’s top young talents at 170
pounds, they have staked their respective claims to primetime.
Ellenberger wrecked Sean Pierson on
short notice at UFC 129, as he finished him with a beautiful
counter left hook and follow-up punches. Not long after, MacDonald
corralled “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner Nate Diaz. The
21-year-old Canadian dazzled the raucous Rogers Centre crowd with
three belly-to-back suplexes and put on display his wonderfully
diverse skill set. Diaz had no answer for MacDonald, and it stands
to reason that few will as he continues to develop. Ellenberger, a
stout wrestler with legitimate one-punch knockout power in his
hands, has positioned himself for a meaningful fight. The
26-year-old Omaha, Neb., native has quietly compiled a 4-1 mark
inside the UFC.